Igor Oreper, vice president solutions, Bitmovin, looks at the 5G chicken and the data egg
Contributor 1 min ago
Igor Oreper, vice president solutions, Bitmovin, looks at the 5G chicken and the data egg
target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin> Igor Oreper, vice president solutions, Bitmovin, looks at the 5G chicken and the data egg
https://www.tvbeurope.com/features/online-video-delivery-at-the-dawn-of-the-5g-era title=Share via Email class=share-email>
Nearly 10 years on from the world's first publicly available LTE services, the impact 4G networks have had on mobile video consumption is clear. The ever-growing availability of online video content has changed the way media is distributed and consumed forever. Consumers have greater control and flexibility to watch what they want, when they want, on the device or platform of their choosing, in increasingly high definition. Research from Openwave Mobility showed that in the last five years, video consumption on mobile networks has grown on average 50-60 per cent year-on-year, a figure that is more than doubled when looking at developing markets in isolation.
In addition, at Mobile World Congress this year, we saw the future of video consumption on the go being realised, with manufacturers such as Huawei, Xiaomi and LG unveiling the first 5G phones to hit the market. Over the next few months, carriers like Verizon in the US and Vodafone in the UK will also start to make 5G services available in selective locations.
The 5G chicken and the data egg
At the dawn of next generation networks, one of the biggest challenges for online video content providers today, lies in managing the costs of Content Delivery Networks (CDNs). While the cost per byte has continued to decrease, the bandwidth required to keep consumers happy is increasing at an even faster rate. Online video demand is certain to continue, but is the development of 5G a response to this, or the means by which it will be accelerated? The significant improvements in transmission speed, quality and reliability will enable close to zero latency between a streaming source and the viewer, and could see newer technologies like virtual and augmented reality viewing experiences enter the mainstream.
In the short term though, early 5G deployments will represent last mile broadband data connectivity, with backbone networks growing capacity with the current trajectory driven by fibre backbones, overlaid by CDNs and boosted by such techniques as point of presence (POP) peering across global telecom providers.
Across 4G/LTE and 5G networks, digital video demand will more likely be driven by trends like cord cutting, virtual multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs), 4K video, and global adoption of video-capable mobile devices on WiFi or mobile networks. Cisco's study projects that globally, IP video traffic will be 82 per cent of all IP traffic by 2022, up from 75 per cent in 2017. Global IP video traffic will grow four-fold from 2017 to 2022. By that time, 5G is only expected to account for 3 per cent of global mobile devices and connection.
As user demand for data and bitrates keep going up without waiting for 5G, new approaches to video compression are an absolute necessity to keep the cost of streaming down, so content providers can spend their resources on creating more compelling content. Regardless of what network content is being delivered over, this can be achieved through three video workflow techniques: multi-codec streaming, per-file encoding and per-scene adaptation.
Multi-codec streaming
This bandwidth-saving technology enables a player to detect what the most efficient codec will be for streaming video on any browser or platform. AV1, H.264, HEVC, VP9, VVC have all been designed to suit a specific environment or type of content. By encoding videos into multiple codecs and configuring a player to make informed decisions about which files to stream and to whom, operators can deliver the highest picture quality on existing bandwidth. Looking further ahead, multi-codec solutions will assist early adopters as new codecs such as AV1 become ready for mass market penetration - which promises even larger bandwidth reductions.
Per-title encoding
This process involves adjusting an encoding configuration to optimise a specific video asset. It leverages the fact that some videos are far less complex than others, and therefore can be encoded at lower bitrates. Cartoons are a classic example of where this is particularly effective. Generally speaking, they contain scenes with large areas of solid colour at a lower complexity level, which can be compressed much more efficiently than the more detailed scenes in action or sci-fi movies.
Per-title encoding relies on performing a complexity analysis on each title before the encoding process begins. That complexity score is used to adjust the bitrate ladder by sending a new encoding profile to the encoder. The result: each video in a library is encoded in a way that best suits the content - minimising the bitrate and greatly reducing bandwidth usage.
Per-scene adaptation
This technique leverages the fact that the human eye is often unable to register a lot of the information delivered in a video stream. In most videos, there are many scenes that can be streamed at a lower bitrate without the viewer noticing. Per-scene adaptation involves supplementing the adaptation logic that governs the viewer's behaviour with an additional stream of quality metadata that contains information about the visual complexity of a particular segment in the video.
In an adaptive streaming scenario with a standard configuration, the player will attempt to download a video file that fits the screen it is playing on. In a player that is configured for per-scene adaptation, the player can be alerted to
Europe Stories
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
22/07/2026
Library now available in Engine Player
Another of Eduardo Tarilonte's popular sample libraries has just been moved over to Engine Audio's Engine Pla...
22/07/2026
All-in-one mic & DSP interface overhauled
Cloudvocal have just refreshed the design of their all-in-one mic, audio interface and DSP processor, introducing ...
22/07/2026
The final boss of the lost dual-op-amp circuit
Electro-Harmonix have just introduced the Deluxe Big Muff Pi 2, which they say offers their latest take on t...
22/07/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
22/07/2026
A poisoned spy, a secret war, and a small English city contaminated by a deadly chemical weapon. Available on Sky Documentaries from 4 AugustWednesday 22 July 2...
22/07/2026
Audio at Parity: Comscore Launches Transcript-Level Targeting and Measurement wi...
22/07/2026
Arvato Systems and Lobster Enter into a Partnership and Combine the Integration Platform and Managed Services
Flexible integration solutions for cloud, hybrid...
22/07/2026
RT REPORTS NET SURPLUS OF 22.5 MILLION IN 2025...
22/07/2026
In the Opinion of the Censor airs Monday 27 July at 9.35pm on RT One and RT Player
In the Opinion of the Censor looks at how films for theatrical release wer...
21/07/2026
New research involving a cross-section of Mongolias independent media landscape finds enthusiasm for AI as a tool to improve efficiency, sustainability and resi...
21/07/2026
High-end analogue channel strip boasts plug-in recall
Originally revealed as a prototype back at NAMM 2024, the Channex Studio channel strip represented a b...
21/07/2026
Relies on same DSP as plug-in range
Musik Hack's line-up has been influenced heavily by founder Stan Greene's work as a mixing engineer, and their M...
21/07/2026
Official collaboration with boutique builder Dirty Boy Pedals
Warm Audio have just announced the launch of a new guitar pedal range created in collaboration...
21/07/2026
Rohde & Schwarz showcases broad range of EMC test solutions at EMC SIPI 2026 in ...
21/07/2026
X-Rite Pantone and NIFT Partner to Build Color Management Skills for India's...
21/07/2026
Harmonics cOS Virtualized Broadband Platform and Pearl Remote OLTs Enable Flexible PON Migration, While SeaStar Optical Node Powers Cost-Effective Multi-Gigabit...
21/07/2026
160 hours of Irish storytelling for 2026
KIN and The Walsh Sisters return
RT has today unveiled its most ambitious drama slate ever, with a record-breakin...
20/07/2026
Product range now readily available in the UK
Graph Tech Guitar Labs have just announced the launch of a new UK Online Store that makes it quicker and easie...
20/07/2026
Popular headset gains active noise cancellation
The Maxwell headet was Audeze's first foray into the gaming world, and thanks to its Dolby Atmos compati...
20/07/2026
Monday 20 July 2026
Sky brings free global roaming to millions of loyal custome...
20/07/2026
Red Seat Ventures Announces Introduction of Premium Creator and Podcast Communit...
20/07/2026
FIFA World Cup Final sets new RT Player record as the most-streamed single event in the platform's history
Over 1 million viewers watched live on RT 2 as ...
19/07/2026
Channel strip plug-in gets upgraded
Acustica Audio's vintage-inspired channel strip plug-in has just been treated to an update that expands its tonal ra...
18/07/2026
Captures nine sought-after Fender amps
IK Multimedia's latest TONEX expansion captures a selection of nine rare Brown Panel' Fender amps that were ...
18/07/2026
Latest batch ships alongside firmware update
Since being unveiled at Superbooth 2025, Frap Tools' debut polysynth has been met with widespread praise, a...
17/07/2026
Full engine access with reduced soundset
Sonuscore have steadily been introducing a selection of reduced-cost and free versions of their flagship products r...
17/07/2026
Two new special-edition models revealed
Over the past week, Arturia have launched special-edition versions of both their premium MIDI controller and stage p...
17/07/2026
Original founder now back at the helm
In a message posted on his personal social media accounts, Dirk Ulrich has announced that both Plugin Alliance and Bra...
17/07/2026
From intimate acoustic settings to large-scale festival stages, her focus has remained constant: preserving the true natural voice of the violin in every perfor...
17/07/2026
New and returning series, live festival broadcasts, powerful documentaries and major sporting moments headline RT Radio 1's summer schedule
RT Radio 1 is...
17/07/2026
Up For The Match - Live From Croke Park this Saturday at 8pm on RT One and RT ...
17/07/2026
RT Commercial has today announced DiscoverIreland.ie, as sponsor of The Traitor...
16/07/2026
Media organisations with tested plans for new products, services or revenue models can now apply for grants of up to 30,000 through the Business Innovation Syn...
16/07/2026
A new benchmark in bass enhancement
Described as a new benchmark in bass enhancement , Baby Audio's latest release has been designed to augment the lo...
16/07/2026
Popular library rebuilt in new Orbita Engine
Other Worlds Evolved is the latest of Zero G's sample libraries to be treated to a ground-up rebuild using ...
16/07/2026
Created in collaboration with A. G. Cook
The newest addition to Native Instruments' software collection introduces a new synth created by A. G. Cook, a ...
16/07/2026
Rohde & Schwarz supplies conformance test systems to Marquistech for India's...
16/07/2026
Modern broadcast facilities are no longer confined to a single control room. Production teams are spread across multiple workstations, machine rooms, studios, c...
16/07/2026
Whether you're operating a single control room or managing metering across an entire broadcast facility, having the right information in the right place is ...
16/07/2026
San Jose, CA - July 16, 2026 - Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced a $25,000...
16/07/2026
Modern broadcast facilities are no longer confined to a single control room. Production teams are spread across multiple workstations, machine rooms, studios, c...
16/07/2026
Fox Corporation Executives to Discuss Fourth Quarter and Full Fiscal Year 2026 F...
16/07/2026
More interfaces now compatible with Focusrite Control 2 Your Focusrite interface might now be compatible with a public beta support of Focusrite Control 2. If...
16/07/2026
Together the semi-finals had a combined reach of 1.98 million unique individuals...
15/07/2026
Launched alongside new FreqSoft installer
Designed to bridge the gap between hardware and software, Freqport's FreqInOut FO1 unit provides a simple way ...
Igor Oreper, vice president solutions, Bitmovin, looks at the 5G chicken and the data egg
